The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for capturing insects and is more particularly concerned with a novel device for ascertaining the specific types and numbers of insects captured at a given time.
Many studies are being conducted presently relative to the effects of chemical substances and light and acoustic energies on insects. An effect of these substances and energies studied in the attractant and/or repellant characteristics relative to various species of insects. In order to determine accurately the effects of these substances and energies as attractants or repellants, it is necessary in many instances to ascertain the relationship that these attractants and repellants have on specific species of insects as a function of the time of exposure thereto. Furthermore, the effects of these attractants and repellants often differs markedly in time on various species of insects.
While laboratory studies can and are being conducted on insects with such attractants and repellants, the only true tests of the efficacies thereof are those conducted under necessary conditions in various field environments. Presently available equipment for capturing insects is unsuitable for ascertaining quantitative information in a continuous manner with the ability to determine time-dependent relationships. The presently known insect capturing equipment is intended primarily for capture of large numbers of insects over an extended period of time and cannot provide time-dependent insect capture data at a remote site.
If such field environment studies can be accomplished, scientists may be able to determine optimal times and conditions for chemical spraying to cause insect population control. Furthermore, such studies could easily yield data from which lighting, chemical or acoustic sources could be developed which when combined with localized concentrations of insecticides might allow insect population control without widespread spraying.